Shell Shock
by DragonShadow
Summary: The Powerpuff Girls fly to New York to attend a science conference, but someone has other plans. Now in two chapters for easier reading.
1. Chapter 1

Shell Shock  
  
  
Buttercup sat on the couch, staring at the TV blankly. Bubbles was beside her, playing with a small plastic doll and generally making a whole lot of noise. Buttercup couldn't hear the TV over her yammering, but she tried to stay calm. Blossom was in the back helping the professor prepare for their flight to New York City tomorrow.  
  
"Oh Octi, won't it be so nice to grow up? We can go out late with our sisters and have so much fun." Bubbles said dreamily, lying on her back and holding Octi up in front of her. She giggled and pecked the stuffed octopus on the lips, then blushed. "Oh Octi, I never knew..." She giggled shrilly.  
  
"Will you shut up!" Buttercup screamed irritably. "I'm trying to watch TV, do you mind!?"  
  
"Come on Buttercup, don't you look forward to growing up too?" Bubbles asked.  
  
"Yes I do! You know why? So I can get away from you and that stupid, stupid doll!" Buttercup grabbed Octi and hurled it across the room. Bubbles stared at her, her eyes welling up with moisture. Finally the internal dam burst and she started sobbing onto the couch.  
  
"Bubbles? What's going on in here?" Professor Utonium demanded, marching into the room.  
  
"Buttercup yelled at me and threw Octi across the roooooom!" Bubbles yelled sadly. The Professor turned to Buttercup but she stood up and held up one hand, silencing him.  
  
"I know! I'm going!" Buttercup leapt over the back of the couch and marched upstairs with her hands crossed over her chest. She was getting tired of this. Bubbles never stopped, and Blossom with her high-and-mighty attitude. She couldn't wait until she could get away from them forever. She didn't need them, she would be perfectly happy by herself.  
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Raphael didn't really care for these long practice sessions, but he didn't have much choice. This was his and Donatello's day for intense training, tomorrow it would be Michelangelo and Leonardo's turn. He whirled out of the way of Donatello's long bo staff and brought his sais around. He threw one down to pin the bo to the ground and kicked him in the back of the shell.  
  
"Hit one." Raphael smirked. Donatello yanked his bo out of the ground and whirled, sending it spinning toward Raphael's shell. Raphael leapt straight up and shot one foot forward, kicking Donatello in the face. The other turtle went down to the ground with a loud grunt.  
  
"Stop." Splinter ordered, stepping into the middle of the fight. Raphael mentally cursed himself and prepared for his masters reprimand. "Control is the key to ninjitsu, Raphael." He reminded him.  
  
"I know Master Splinter." Raphael replied. This always happened, someone couldn't block so he got yelled at for hitting him.  
  
Splinter sighed, staring into Raphael's eyes. "Take a rest, and calm yourself." Raphael bowed respectfully and turned to head out of the abandoned subway station that served as their home.  
  
When he was out of earshot Raphael let out a frustrated yell and kicked the sewer wall. He took out his sais and slashed the steel, leaving scratches in the grime that covered it. He took a deep breath, relaxing himself before slid the sais back into his belt.   
  
He was getting sick of this. He was tired of sparring with his brothers. He needed to get out of here, away from them. If only he could travel safely outside the sewer he wouldn't need them. If only...  
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New York City, the city that is the center for American society. A symbol of American strength, resolve, and utter greed. Professor Utonium and the Powerpuff Girls had endured a very long flight to reach this city, so that the professor could join in the annual science conference. Scientists from every country in the world gather here to exchange ideas, theories, and show off their new advances since the last conference.  
  
The professor had no plans to show off his girls, he didn't want them in the national spotlight. Protecting Townsville was quite enough. Still, he wasn't about to leave his little girls home alone, so he brought them along and instructed them on the way not to use their powers for anything except helping people in danger. He knew they would comply, though they each would deal with it differently.  
  
As they approached the science building a woman in a brown jacket and loose fitting jeans hurried up to them. "And here we have Professor Thomas Utonium just arriving at the annual World Science Expo. Every year this brilliant scientist stuns the crowd with his earth shattering discoveries. Tell me professor, what have you brought this year?"  
  
The Professor chuckled. "Now now, if I told you that everyone would have time to copy it before the fair." He Grinned. The reporter turned back to her camera without missing a beat.  
  
"Well there you have it folks, we'll just have to wait for the expo to begin to know what new ground have been uncovered this year. This is April O'Neil, signing off." She waited for the cameraman to give her the signal before turning back to the professor with a very different demeanor. "You presentation doesn't have anything to do with the now-famous little girls does it?" She looked down at the Powerpuff Girls with a confident smile.  
  
After Professor Dick tried to exploit the girls, everyone knew about them. Still, the professor preferred not to exploit them. "No I'm afraid it doesn't. I really wouldn't want to put them in the spotlight, people could get the wrong idea about them..."  
  
April nodded solemnly. "I understand completely. If the world wasn't so Hell-bent on looks it would be a better place for a lot of good people."  
  
"Well, I should go inside and set up for my presentation. It's been nice talking to you Miss O'Neil. Say goodbye girls." The Professor looked down at his girls.  
  
"Goodbye Miss O'Neil." The girls spoke in unison before they followed their father inside. He hoped they wouldn't have any saving to do, but science was unpredictable... especially with those who would abuse it around.  
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"Come on Donnie, change the channel!" Raphael was getting ornery again. His brother would complain about anything that didn't hold his attention, which was almost everything. Especially intellectual stuff like the World Science Expo. Donatello was fascinated with technology and genetics, so he never missed a chance to see it in action or learn a bit more. His brothers were different however.  
  
"Why don't you go find another TV or something?" Donatello sat on the sofa in the middle of the subway tram to watch the news broadcast. They lived in an abandoned subway where an equally abandoned train had afforded them a nice place to live, and even had its own power source.  
  
"Why don't you just go to the damn expo and let us watch something interesting?" Raph shot back. Donatello considered for a moment, stroking his green chin.  
  
"You know, that's not a bad idea." Don stood and left the subway car. Mike and Leo were busy practicing under the strict tutelage of Master Splinter. A rat, transformed into a human-like figure along with the turtles themselves. He had belonged to a martial arts master, and thus learned the skills. He passed those skills onto the turtles, and forced them to re-master them every single day. Splinter was kind, gentle and wise. The turtles' mentor and father.  
  
He wouldn't miss Donatello for a few hours, so he grabbed the thick trench coat and hat as he headed for the exit. He made his way through the sewer tunnels until he finally emerged at a manhole cover near the expo. He slipped on the coat and hat and made his way toward the building.  
  
When he finally wrestled his way inside it was packed with gadgets and gizmos he couldn't name. The sharpest edge of technology, and he was right here with it.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen!" His gaze was drawn to a figure up on a podium in the very back of the building. "Welcome to the World Science Expo for 2003! Where we'll unveil the future!" Polite applause broke out from the crowd. "Now, we'll start things off with the most brilliant man this century. Professor Thomas Utonium!"  
  
A kind looking man in a formal suit approached the podium and cleared his throat. "Hello, everyone. I know everyone's eager to see my contribution, and I hate to disappoint. Behold!" He gestured grandly, and three little girls pushed a cart onto the stage with a blanket covering the top. The girls looked strange, without fingers, toes, ears, or even a nose.  
  
"Thank you girls. Now, what I'm about to unveil is just a prototype, but I believe it will revolutionize modern medicine." He yanked the blanket aside, revealing a machine roughly half as big as he was. "The Molecular re-sequencer! This thing will have the ability to rearrange the genetic make up of any creature. It would be possible to mend wounds, and replace body parts."  
  
The crowed gave a long, awed sound while Donatello stared at it. A molecular re-sequencer? If it did what he said, it could possibly let him and his brothers exist in this upper world instead of hiding in the sewer.  
  
"Are there any questions?" Professor Utonium asked. "Yes, you in the front." Donatello listened while he answered several questions. Finally he raised his own hand. "Yes, you in the suspicious looking trench coat and hat."  
  
"Could it be used to combine... or separate... the DNA of a particular creature?" Donatello asked. The professor stroked his chin, deep in thought. Finally he replied.  
  
"In theory, but that's not what I designed it for. It was designed to supplement modern medicine and save lives." The questions continued but the turtle's mind was still on that device. He knew he could never possess it short of stealing it, and that wasn't his style. Still, it was an interesting theory...  
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The expo came and went without incident. Bubbles was incredibly bored after listening to all the horribly scientific explanations and questions. Why couldn't smart people talk with normal words? Buttercup seemed cranky from the long wait too, but Blossom looked thrilled as they left the building that night with the device in tow.  
  
"Did you guys see that toaster/egg scrambler/juice maker? That thing could really help out in the morning!" Blossom yapped on and on while Bubbles and Buttercup exchanged a droll glance.  
  
"We saw it all! We were there!" Buttercup snapped. "Unfortunately..."  
  
"I'm sorry for dragging you girls out here, I know there are things you would rather be doing." The Professor sighed. "I'll tell you what, as a treat for behaving so well during the expo, I'll take you all out for a pizza."  
  
"Okay!" Even Blossom agreed instantly. The Professor chuckled and led them to a nearby pizza place. They went inside and the professor ordered them a large pepperoni pizza.  
  
"Hey, did you girls notice something strange about that guy in the trench coat?" Buttercup asked as they took their seats to wait for their food to finish cooking. The sequencer thingy was set beside the table so they could keep an eye on it.  
  
"Yeah, his hand looked green." Bubbles commented.   
  
Blossom snorted. "Okay okay we get it, you two don't like intellectuals."  
  
"No really, his hand was green, and he only had three fingers!" Bubbles insisted.  
  
"Now girls, that's enough." The Professor's voice was soft, but none of the girls interrupted him. "You should know better than to make fun of peoples' physical differences behind their back." Bubbles and Buttercup lowered their heads in shame while Blossom smirked.  
  
"Yeah girls." Bubbles and Buttercup glared at her until a figure walked in. He was dressed in normal enough clothes, but something in his eyes set off several alarms in the minds of the crime-fighting trio.  
  
Buttercup cleared her throat. "I'm uh, going to go to the bathroom." She stood up.  
  
"Hold on I'll come with you." Bubbles announced. The Professor gave them permission and they floated into the bathroom. Instantly they used their X-Ray vision to watch the suspicious man through the wall. He didn't even approach the counter, instead roaming through the building like he owned the place. In a few moments he sidled toward the Professor's table.  
  
As quick as a flash they watched his hand dart under the cloth, removing something from the professor's device. "I knew it!" Buttercup exclaimed as he ran for the door suddenly. Neither Blossom nor the professor seemed to have noticed. "Come on Bubbles, let's go nab him!"  
  
The two girls streaked out of the building. The man was running down the alley beside the building. "Hold it right there pal!" Buttercup and Bubbles flew after him, but by the time they reached the alley he was nowhere in sight. "Where on Earth did he go?" They could hear sounds of fighting from somewhere...  
  
"Hey, look!" Bubbles pointed to the ground, where a manhole cover was missing. They streaked up to the sewer entrance and looked inside. "Eeewww..." Bubbles groaned at the smell, but Buttercup shushed her. At the bottom was the man who'd stolen the piece of the device, but he was unconscious with no sign of what happened to him.  
  
"Come on." Buttercup floated into the sewer. Bubbles hesitated, but finally decided to follow. Buttercup pulled the device from the man's coat, picking him up out of the dirty sewer water. "Okay buster, what do you think you were doing robbing the Professor like that?" The man stirred, but was still groggy. "Answer me man!"  
  
Bubbles watched until she heard a splashing sound. It wasn't close, but with her enhanced hearing and the echo of the sewer, she could probably hear a mouse sneeze from a mile away. "Buttercup, what's that sound?"  
  
"Shut up! I'm interrogating him!" Buttercup slammed the crook into the wall. Bubbles wanted to follow the splashing sound, but there was too much of an echo. She couldn't tell which way it was coming from. "Why did you rob the professor! Answer me!" Buttercup raised her fist.  
  
"Okay okay!" The man panicked, raising his hands. "I was ordered to take the piece! I don't know what it was for or who wanted it! The order came in the mail! Now please leave me alone." Buttercup glared at him.  
  
"Just because I'm a kid doesn't make me stupid." Buttercup slapped him across the face. "The truth!"  
  
"I caaan't!" The man looked so frightened Bubbles had to pity him.  
  
"Forget it Buttercup, we have it back and he's sorry, aren't you mister?" Bubbles asked. The man nodded vehemently. "Let's go back before Blossom and the Professor get worried." Buttercup looked willing to stay and slap the guy around a bit more, but she let him fall in the sewer water.  
  
"Try it again and see what happens." Buttercup threatened him one last time before she and Bubbles floated up out of the sewer. "Geeze some people. They don't learn unless ya make 'em." Buttercup punched her own hand, grinning. Bubbles was unusually thoughtful on the way back to the pizza place. She had to wonder... who'd knocked the man out before they got there?  
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Two swords flashed in silver arcs while a pair of nunchuks whirled in a furious pattern. Leonardo enjoyed these training sessions. It was nice to let off some steam and improve his skills at the same time.  
  
He whirled, launching a double slash as his more nimble brother. Michelangelo jumped the blades and lashed out with one foot, which Leonardo ducked easily. Master Splinter watched the exchange with a practiced eye, noting every single flaw in their fighting style. Finally he stepped in, stopping their fight an allowing them to rest.  
  
"Whew, finally. Time to relax and order up some pizza." Michelangelo instantly walked toward the phone hanging on the wall. Leonardo frowned and looked in the train. Raphael was watching a kung-fu movie with a bag of corn chips, but he couldn't see Donatello anywhere.  
  
"Where did Donatello go?" He asked. Splinter looked toward the exit, running one withered hand over his chin. Before he could speak however Donatello burst into the hideout excitedly.  
  
"Master Splinter! I've made an incredible discovery!" He rushed toward them and began speaking without waiting for a reply. "I was just at the World Science Expo, and one of the scientists there made a device that can rearrange the molecules in a living organism! It can recombine their entire DNA structure!"  
  
"What does that have to do with us?" Leo asked.  
  
"It could make us human!" Donatello exclaimed. Leonardo and Splinter both stared at him in surprise. Michelangelo made his way over to them from the telephone.  
  
"Dude, did you just say... human?" He asked.  
  
"Yes! If my theory is correct. If it can re-grow and manipulate molecules, there's no reason it couldn't replace the turtle DNA in our bodies with human tissue. We're halfway there anyway, it wouldn't take much to finish the process." Donatello explained. The others were thoughtful. "He's at the pizzaria with his three daughters! If we hurry we can catch him!"  
  
"Be human..." Leonardo looked up at the ceiling.  
  
"Live up there, without hiding." Michelangelo added.  
  
"Please, do not plan action without further knowledge." Splinter warned them wisely. "Only a fool acts on a path that is unsure." He turned to Donatello. "Are you sure this... device works?"  
  
"Well no it wasn't demonstrated, but I think if I get my hands on it I can figure out how it works." Donatello replied.  
  
"You cannot reveal yourself to him. It is far too dangerous, especially if he has such a device." Splinter sighed. "My sons, I know you grow restless. However, you cannot risk being seen. Only through the art of invisibility have you lasted this long. To reveal yourself unnecessarily could bring grave consequences." The turtles sighed in unison.  
  
Leonardo put one hand on his head. Splinter was right, it was stupid to reveal themselves on the vague hope that this device could work. He thought he heard something leaving the subway, but he figured he was imagining things.  
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Raphael had overheard the entire conversation. A device that could make them all human... he could leave this place without worrying about being overwhelmed. He was tired of living in the shadows, being forced to live by his brothers. He wanted to make his own way out in the world, and if this was the only way, then so be it.  
  
He made his way to their usual pizza diner and peeked in the window. Sure enough, he saw a tall man in a business suit sitting with three strange looking little girls. They had something beside the table, covered with a thin blanket. Could that be the device Donatello told them about?  
  
Raphael watched the small family finish their pizza and leave the diner. He followed a distance behind them, keeping to the shadows. The brunette girl with green eyes whirled several times, but he kept well out of sight until he was sure she had resumed her walk. Finally they reached one of the larger hotels in the city, and they made their way upstairs.  
  
Raph memorized the floor they stopped at, and made his way up the fire escape. Her found the small family inside one of the hotel rooms. The girls were already dressed in small nightgowns, which meant they would be sleeping soon. Good, that would make it much easier.  
  
Raphael waited for more than an hour to make sure the family was asleep. The moon had risen high into the dark, starless night. He pushed the window open and crept inside without a sound. The three girls slept on heedless. He made his way to the bedroom door and turned the doorknob silently, pushing it open. He turned one more time to make sure the girls were still asleep. They both were... both? Weren't there three?  
  
"SURPRISE SUCKER!" Raphael whirled in time to see a green flash of light streaking toward him. He leapt back with a flip, slamming his feet into the girls face and sending her sailing right over him. The girl landed feet first on the wall and kicked off, sailing toward him again. The girl was flying... these were no ordinary girls.  
  
"What's going on...?" One of the other girls mumbled as the others woke up as well. Raphael quickly took out one of his sais and hurled it at the bed. The other two girls shrieked in surprise, but the sai embedded itself in the bed between them, the two outer blades wrapped firmly around their small stomachs. They were pinned to the bed.  
  
"Ack! What's going on!?" The blond girl exclaimed, trying to push the sai off of her. She couldn't get leverage on the bed however, not enough to remove the weapon.  
  
The brunette girl slammed into the back of his shell, sending him to the ground. "This wierdo's breaking in!" She yelled. Raph rolled on the ground, then flipped to his feet easily.  
  
"Hey, relax, I'm just here to borrow something!" Raph got in a solid fighting stance. The brunette girl scoffed.  
  
"Borrow, right. You picked the wrong people to borrow from pal!" The brunette launched herself at him, but Raph leapt back, kicking off the wall and sailing right over her shimmering green light trail. He rolled to the door and pushed it open, emerging into the living area. The girl followed close behind, but he whirled and slammed one foot into the side of her head.  
  
She rebounded and slammed into the far wall, punching a hole straight through to the hallway beyond. "I gotta get outta here." Raph said to himself, looking around quickly. He spotted the covered bundle sitting on the couch, so he hurried and grabbed it, running for the window.  
  
"No you don't!" A crimson light shined from behind him, slamming into his shell. Strangely, he didn't feel any pain. In fact, he felt better than ever. He leapt through the window and slid down the fire escape, vanishing into the shadows around the base of the building. The brunette girl ran to the fire escape, but didn't see him.  
  
"Damnit!" The girl punched the windowsill, splintering it, before she went back inside. Raphael took off down the street quickly. He would return the device when they were done with it... a sudden return with it unharmed. No harm done, and much good done. He thought it was a good idea.  
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Buttercup fumed as she stomped back into the hotel suit. How could she let some giant green thing make off with the professor's device? Stupid mutant piece of... she then remembered Bubbles and Blossom still pinned to the bed by that weird weapon he'd used. She flew into the bedroom. Her sisters were staring at her worriedly.  
  
"What happened? Where is it?" Blossom asked. Buttercup delayed answering while she pulled the weapon from the bed, freeing her sisters.  
  
"It got away, with the professor's device thing." Buttercup admitted.   
  
"What!? Buttercup how could you let it get away!?" Blossom demanded incredulously. Buttercup sneered back.  
  
"Hey lay off! I didn't see you jumping to the rescue!" Buttercup retorted.  
  
"I didn't think a Powerpuff Girl could be beaten by one stupid stinking turtle thing!" Blossom shot back.  
  
"Oh yeah!? Well-" Buttercup was cut off by the professor's sudden appearance in the bedroom.  
  
"Girls, I heard all kinds of commotion, what happened!?" He rushed to the bed to make sure they were okay.  
  
"Buttercup let a criminal get away!" Blossom exclaimed. Buttercup glared at her hatefully. How she wished she could get out of here right now, but of course that wasn't an option.  
  
"Professor, it was weird." Buttercup looked up at his face. "I tried to use my eye beams to stop him, but it didn't seem to have any effect. It was like it was immune to my powers." The Professor stared at her curiously.  
  
"And he left this." Blossom held up the strange three-spiked weapon. The Professor took it and examined it carefully.  
  
"I don't know what it is... but don't worry girls, we'll find him. I just hope we find him soon, if that device falls into the wrong hands... it could be terrible." The Professor ran one hand over the weapon. Buttercup lowered her gaze to the bed, knowing it was her fault the freak got away. "Do you remember what the intruder looked like?"  
  
"A giant turtle." The girls replied in unison.  
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Raphael hurried through the shadows toward a manhole cover near the turtles' new home. He doubted anyone would see him on these streets this late at night, but he wasn't about to take chances. They'd thought the Foot Clan gone once before, only to have it return a while later. He wouldn't risk their new home again, though hopefully it was only a matter of time before they left it.  
  
He neared the desired manhole cover, but didn't move to open it. He heard something behind, a faint whisper of sound, but enough to be something unpleasant. Burdened as he was by the device, he wouldn't be able to fight very effectively.  
  
As quick as a flash the ninja turtle leapt backward head over heels. He put the device on the ground and pushed himself off from it, reaching for his sais as he landed. He was surprised to only find one, until he remembered he'd left the other one behind to hold the other girls back. His pursuer now stood where he had moments before, watching him.  
  
"Not bad for a freak of nature." Its voice was surprisingly soft and dulcet, a sharp contrast to the almost devilish look of its body. Its voice transformed into a dark hiss. "Now give me the device!"  
  
"No way pal, you're not getting anything." Raphael whirled his one remaining sigh in front of him. His attacker grinned and lunged at, two crab-like claws snapping at the turtle. Raph deflected one with his sai, barely avoiding the other and planting a solid kick into the things face.  
  
The figure's head snapped backward... then reset itself with a wide, evil grin. "Is that all the strength you have? How disappointing." It grabbed his arm and twisted, sending him to his knees from pain as his arm was wrenched almost out of its socket. "You shouldn't fight a battle you cannot win." The figure laughed evilly.  
  
Raph spoke through clenched teeth. "You talk too much... pal..."He jumped into the air, spinning around fast enough to pop his own arm back into place before he came down behind his attacker, kicking it in the back of the head. The figure stumbled forward off balance. "You're not getting anything!" He grabbed the device the turned to leave.  
  
"FOOL!" The voice howled in rage behind him. Before he knew it the ground beneath him erupted upward in a wave of searing power. He screamed despite himself, feeling his strength ebbing. Finally he fell into unconsciousness on the New York City street.  
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News of Professor Utonium's missing device spread quickly the following day. Still, April O'Neil found it hard to focus on this assignment. The turtles had told her that morning that Raphael had gone missing some time last night. They'd scoured the entire sewer system, but they couldn't find him anywhere. It wasn't unusual for him to disappear, but usually he let someone know he was gone.  
  
She sighed as she reached the floor where Professor Utonium and his daughters were staying. When she exited the elevator there were already several dozen police officers scouring the hotel suit, but the professor and girls were out front talking with police.  
  
"Okay, roll it." She told her cameraman as she walked toward the group. She stopped and turned to face the camera. "This is April O'Neil reporting on a daring late-night robbery that took place early last night. I have here the victims, Professor Utonium and his three daughters, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup." She approached the group. "Excuse me, can I have a word with you?"  
  
Professor Utonium looked tired of the constant questions, but Bubbles floated up to her face quickly. "I'm telling you it was a turtle! A big, slimy, icky TURTLE!" April stared at her in surprise, not saying anything.   
  
Blossom sighed and pulled her down to the floor. "Bubbles, the police didn't believe us, why would the press?" April turned back to the camera, trying to think of a response.  
  
"We'll be right back..." She waited for the cameraman to give the signal before she turned toward the elevator. "I'll be right back." She closed the elevator doors and took out her cell phone, hitting the quick dial. She waited until someone picked up. "Were you guys watching?"  
  
"We heard it, but we don't believe it." Leonardo's voice came back. She could hear the others chattering in the background. "Raphael would never steal anything..." his voice didn't sound too sure however. April poked her head out of the elevator, looking around to make sure she was still alone. She saw one of the cops walking toward a small collection of bags with a bag in his hand containing what she recognized instantly as one of Raphael's sais.  
  
"It was him... one of his weapons is here!" She ducked back into the elevator. Leonardo swore softly into the phone. "I don't get it. Why would he try to steal a genetic re-sequencer? He's not very technology oriented."  
  
"It's a long story, I'll explain later... hold on a second." April waited while Leonardo talking away from the phone with the others. After a few minutes he came back on the line. "Master Splinter wants to meet with them and get this resolved before this anti-turtle stuff sends us back to square one."  
  
"Right, I'll handle it." She hung up and left the elevator, approaching the family again. "Excuse me..."  
  
"Please, no more questions." The Professor groaned.  
  
April looked to make sure no cops were listening, then knelt down toward the family, whispering. "I think I know who did this. I can take you somewhere that can help, but I have to do a job here. One of you can go." The four Utoniums stared at her. Finally Blossom volunteered.  
  
"I'll go, everyone else can stay here for the interview." She said. April nodded.  
  
"Go to the alley behind the pizzaria two blocks from here, they'll meet you there." April said. Blossom nodded and quietly floated out the window of the suit. April cleared her throat and stood up to resume the interview. 


	2. Chapter 2

Blossom flew through the air, thoughts racing in her mind. Who was she going to meet? What if April was in some sort of conspiracy against them? Well she was confident in her ability to handle anything they could throw at her, so she wasn't too worried.  
  
She landed in the alley and looked around. She didn't see anything unusual, just a few rats and mice running around on the other end of the alley. She jumped slightly when she heard a whispering voice.  
  
"Psst, down here." She looked around, then finally down. She could see a pair of eyes staring at her from beneath a manhole cover. They were surrounded by orange cloth, concealing the skin beneath. "Come on, quick, before someone sees us." He lifted the cover higher, revealing himself to look just like the turtle that'd attacked them... just with a different voice and headband.  
  
"Why should I trust you?" Blossom demanded.  
  
"If I wanted to fight, do you think I'd introduce myself?" The turtle asked ironically. After pondering this, she decided to trust it. She flew into the sewer and the turtle climbed down after her. "Name's Michelangelo." He didn't say much else. He just led her through the sewer to some unknown destination. When they arrived she was surprised to see two more of these turtles, and a giant rat too.  
  
"Welcome." The rat nodded. His body looked old and decrepit, but his eyes shone with wisdom and kindness. "I am afraid we've found ourselves in a disastrous situation."  
  
"Who are you people?" Blossom demanded. So the rat explained their entire story. They'd been mutated sixteen years ago by a jar of what they called ooze created by the TGRI company. He finished off with the names of the three turtles present, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo.  
  
"There's another one of us, but... he's gone missing." Michelangelo commented worriedly.  
  
"The one who robbed us." Blossom nodded.  
  
"Yes, I am afraid so." Splinter's eyes met hers. "He is not an evil person, but something tempted him into committing this crime."  
  
Donatello stepped forward. "You see, with your professor's Molecular Re-sequencer, we could all become human and live up on the surface without having to worry about being hunted down and feared. We all agreed we wouldn't do anything about it but... Raphael's never been good at self-control." Blossom could certainly understand the motive. She'd thought of being normal on more than one occasion.  
  
"So where would he take the Re-sequencer?" Blossom asked.  
  
"That's the thing, he would bring it back here for Donatello to figure out." Leonardo stepped in. "So someone, or something, must have stopped him before he could get here."  
  
Splinter nodded. "We must find Raphael and this device." The remaining three turtles nodded while Blossom stroked her chin. Splinter turned to the turtles. "Go with her to see her professor. He may have a way to find his device, and I suspect where we find that, we shall find Raphael."  
  
"Yes master." Leonardo said as the turtles bowed respectfully. They turned back to Blossom. "Lead the way." Leonardo said. Blossom stroked her head, but turned to lead them back up to the surface anyway. Three mutant turtles, well she supposed it wasn't too different from a mutant monkey and a... whatever Fuzzy Lumpkins was.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
After the interview, Professor Utonium, Bubbles, and Buttercup had gone with April O'Neil to her apartment where they could speak in privacy. She told them everything she knew about their attacker, a mutant turtle named Raphael. The professor found this intriguing, and on further questioning, found out about their origins and the ooze created by TGRI. This piqued his interest, so when the turtles finally arrived he met them with open arms as if this was his apartment.  
  
"So you're the mutated turtles." He looked each of them over, touching their shells and squeezing their biceps. They seemed unnerved by this, but didn't complain.  
  
"Uh... yes we're turtles..." Leonardo replied. "Look about your device..."  
  
"The nice young lady here has already filled me in." The professor grabbed a syringe from an inner coat pocket and held it up to Leonardo's arm. "May I?" The turtle looked even more nervous.  
  
"Um... sure..." The professor drew some blood and hurried over to where he'd set up a small laboratory kit. Donatello joined him in a moment.  
  
"This is some advanced stuff here to be just a field kit." Donatello commented appreciatively. "Is this a sub-molecular analyzer?"  
  
"Yes it is." The professor replied, putting Leonardo's blood under the microscope. Without looking up he gestured to Buttercup. "Come here for a moment so I can take some of your blood."  
  
"Why?" Buttercup complained. Professor Utonium glared at her and she obediently floated over so he could take the sample. He went back to work, ignoring the turtles and tots around him. The work took hours, but he learned much in that time. It was really quite amazing, such an old discovery and it was still so potent...  
  
"Astounding..." He muttered.  
  
"What is?" Donatello asked. The Professor had forgotten he was there. Michelangelo and Bubbles were watching cartoons while Blossom and Leonardo talked in the corner. Buttercup was in the corner skulking and April was trying to cheer her up.  
  
"Well, I worked for TGRI many, many years ago." The professor replied. Donatello gasped, but didn't interrupt. "This mutagen in your bloodstream was a substance I helped create, but it wasn't potent enough for what I wanted to do with it. So I left the company to work on my own. I eventually multiplied its efficiency by several thousand percent, and called it Chemical-X."  
  
"Chemical-X?" Donatello asked.  
  
"The substance I used to create the Powerpuff Girls." The professor took Buttercup's blood and mixed it into Leonardo's. The reaction was immediate and complete. "Fascinating... the Chemical-X in my girls' blood is... absorbed by the mutagen in yours. That must be why their powers didn't work last night... but if it was absorbed, then Raphael would have traces of Chemical-X in his body. I can use that to track him, but I need a device attuned to molecular composition."  
  
"Why don't we use the analyzer, and boost it with some of the energy modifiers I have in the sewer?" Donatello suggested. The professor stared at him in surprise. "You'd be surprised what some people throw away. Now come on, we should hurry before something happens to Raph."  
  
"Or worse..." The professor nodded and followed Donatello to the underground hideout. If someone used that Molecular Re-sequencer the wrong way, it could spell disaster.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
It was almost nightfall by the time they returned. Michelangelo was asleep on the couch with Bubbles curled up in his lap. Buttercup had taken control of the TV and was watching a kung fu movie while Leonardo, April, and Blossom had a conversation in the kitchen. They walked in and the professor clapped his hands together to get their attention.  
  
"Girls, gather around." He demanded. Blossom floated up silently. Buttercup grumbled and shook Bubbles awake before joining her. Bubbles looked up at Michelangelo and gave a squeal before she remembered he was a good guy. She blushed and joined her sisters. "We have a problem."  
  
"What is it Professor? You couldn't find anything?" Blossom asked.  
  
"Oh I found something alright..." The Professor held up the Molecular Analyzer. There were three dots in the dead center, with another, much dimmer dot far away from them. "That is Raphael." The professor pointed to it. Leonardo smiled and jumped to his feet.  
  
"So let's go find him!" He exclaimed. The professor shook his head glumly and turned a knob. The barely glowing dot was replaced by a large red one, surrounded by nothing.  
  
"This is the energy pattern for spectral beings..." He looked down at the girls. "I suppose you girls know whose it would be."  
  
"It's... Him..." Bubbles' voice shook as she spoke. The utter silence in the room was broken only by snores coming from the couch. Leonardo grabbed a wet rag off the kitchen counter and threw it at Michelangelo. It covered his mouth, blocking his air until he woke with a start.  
  
"Hey! What was that for!?" Michelangelo demanded. Leonardo rolled his eyes, but Bubbles giggled.  
  
"Who is this guy?" Donatello asked.  
  
"A powerful entity that doesn't really live as we think of it. He's a mystery to us, but I know one thing. If he has the Molecular Re-sequencer, it could spell trouble for the entire planet."  
  
"Don't worry professor! We'll take care of Him!" Buttercup punched one fist. "We've beat him plenty of times, this one shouldn't be any different!" She turned to leave.  
  
"We're coming with you." Leonardo turned to follow her. The girls were about to argue, but he preceded them. "We're not leaving Raphael at the mercy of some spectral lunatic. It's not that we don't trust you, we just want to help."  
  
"Okay..." Blossom looked around at the group of turtles and tots. "Let's get going!" Blossom grabbed Leonardo, Buttercup grabbed Donatello, and Bubbles grabbed Michelangelo. They streaked out into the night. Donatello looked down at his tracking device, which the professor had given to him before they left. "He's a few more miles this way!"  
  
"When we get there, leave Him to us." Blossom told him seriously. "Find your brother and get out of there as fast as you can." Donatello didn't respond. They soon landed in the parking lot of a large stadium in the middle of the city. The faint Chemical-X trace was coming from just inside. "We can't see through the walls... there must be something blocking our X-Ray vision."  
  
"It might be Raphael." Donatello told her. "If the mutagen that created us absorbs chemical-X, then when we're around most of your Chemical-X powers will probably be less effective." The girls exchanged one long glance.  
  
"I thought flying was a bit harder than normal..." Bubbles said.  
  
"Just perfect!" Buttercup screamed. "Here we are with Him inside the building with the professor's device AND a hostage, and we don't even have our full powers, and it's all thanks to these green mutant freaks!"  
  
"Calm down Buttercup!" Blossom yelled. "Let's not panic! So our powers aren't working a hundred percent, we'll just have to avoiding fighting Him directly." She whirled. "Bubbles, Michelangelo, sneak in the top of the building and make as much noise as you can. When Him goes to investigate, me and Leonardo will sneak in the front and find the device."  
  
"What abut us?" Buttercup demanded.  
  
"You and Donatello can sneak in the back and find Raphael. As long as Bubbles and Michelangelo get out again fast enough, we won't even have to SEE Him. Let's go!" Nobody complained, it was the best plan they had. So they split up and entered the building their separate ways.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Michelangelo and Bubbles landed in one of the upper story offices. Computers sat on desks throughout the entire room. Mike could just imagine dozens of people all tapping away at the same time. What a life, he was almost glad to be a turtle when he thought about how many humans lived.  
  
"Now, to make a lot of noise." Bubbles started to walk through the room. Suddenly a red light began to blink and a siren blared loudly from somewhere in the Hall. A security system. He couldn't believe they didn't think to check for that.  
  
"Think that's loud enough?" Michelangelo asked. Bubbles giggled, but she was cut off when she heard something from outside the door.  
  
"Come on, quick!" Bubbles streaked through the window and paused to wait for him. Before he could reach it however several bars plunged through the windowsill, trapping him inside. "Mikey! Hide!"   
  
"Crud..." Michelangelo whirled when he heard the doorknob turning. He lunged for one of the desks and hid underneath it just as the door opened. He listened to a set of footsteps walk through the middle of the room slowly. When he passed Michelangelo scampered silently under another desk, closer to the door. He crept silently along the ground under the tables, so close...  
  
"Another turtle!" He whirled to find the crimson skinned figure staring at him. It lifted one crab-like claw toward him.  
  
"Catch me if you can dude!" Michelangelo lunged toward the door, springing off his hands and kicking the door open. A beam of energy passed right behind him as he landed in the hallway, taking off at a run. He turned down another hallway, narrowly avoiding another blast of energy. He leaned against the wall and reached behind him to pull out his nunchucks.  
  
When the figure appeared around the corner he leapt off one foot, kicking it in the face. Him stumbled back, but Michelangelo didn't let up. He jumped forward and kicked him in the stomach, face, shoulder, anywhere he could reach. He let out a yell and whirled in a high, arching kick that sent him to the floor. "Yeah! Even a demon can't stand up to a turtle!"  
  
Without warning the figure got to its hands and knees and kicked him in the chin with both feet, sending him flying back against the wall. Him laughed in a soft tone of voice and did a cartwheel to his feet again. "Stupid turtle, I've already begun mixing my DNA with that of the turtle I already captured." He laughed.  
  
"You... what?" Michelangelo's eyes went wide.  
  
"Quite interesting DNA he has... absorbs Chemical-X. When I finish bonding our DNA, the Powerpuff Girls won't even be able to come near me!" His voice lowered to an evil growl. "They will finally die!"  
  
"You leave him alone!" Michelangelo lunged, bringing his nunchucks around expertly, but Him dodged them with all the ease of a trained martial artist combined with the speed and stamina of a ghost. His claw snapped one of the nunchucks in half, and the other gripped his wrist, crushing it under his tight grip. "HUGH!!!" Michelangelo screamed in pain.  
  
"Maybe I'll use you too... after all, the more of this fascinating DNA I have, the weaker the girls will become." Him laughed and slammed one claw into his head, knocking him unconscious as he was dragged through the halls.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!" Bubbles chanted in a panic as she streaked down the side of the building, and in through the front door. She hadn't been able to break the bars, which meant her strength was getting even weaker the longer she was around the turtles. Even worse, Him had Michelangelo, and he was probably heading down toward the main dome even now. She had to warn the others.  
  
She streaked through the hallways as fast as she could, which was far slower than her normal speed. Still, she made good time and soon found them huddled in the middle of the stadium, where the device was lying on a steel table. The missing turtle was already on his feet, getting ready to make a break for it with the others.  
  
"Blossom!" Bubbles screamed as she streaked up to them. "Michelangelo was caught, and Him is coming downstairs right now!" Blossom and Leonardo swore softly and Raphael stood up.  
  
"I'll take this guy on, I caused all this." Raphael announced. Blossom grabbed his arm.  
  
"No way, we Powerpuff Girls have to fight him. You should get out of here before he gets back." Blossom said.  
  
"Too late!" Buttercup pointed toward the ceiling. Him was floating in mid-air with the unconscious turtle in his arms. He was grinning victoriously.  
  
"Well well well, a whole crop of turtles and the Powerpuff Girls too. How convenient this is." Him laughed and floated down slowly. He let the turtle go, watching him fall to the ground with a heavy thud.  
  
"Michelangelo!" Leonardo, and Donatello, ran to make sure he was okay, while the Powerpuff Girl and Raphael stared up at the floating menace.  
  
"You're not getting away with this! Come on girls, full power or no, this guy is going down NOW!" The Powerpuff Girls streaked into the air in a perfect V formation. They slammed into Him at once, knocking him back several feet. They began to pummel him their hardest. Blows rained down on every inch of his body, but he barely flinched at their best hits.  
  
Him laughed and swept one arm in front of him. The girls were flung back to the ground, slamming into the floor with a heavy thud. They pushed themselves to their hands and knees, glaring up at him. "You've spent too long with the turtles, your powers are almost completely gone." His claws snapped together as he continued in a dark voice. "Your death comes now."  
  
"I think not." Leonardo whirled in front of the girls, pulling his twin swords from their scabbards. Donatello drew his bo beside him, and Raphael drew his one remaining sai. "You'll have to go through us first fruitcake!" Him laughed, his hands clinking together.  
  
"Blossom, they don't have a chance..." Bubbles whispered.  
  
"I know Bubbles... we have to... give them the rest of our Chemical-X." The other girls stared at her in shock.  
  
"But... but what'll happen to us?" Buttercup asked.  
  
"I don't know, but we can't let Him go free to take over the world." Blossom replied. She touched each of her sister's hands. "As we get weaker they get stronger, if we give them all we have, they'll be stronger than we ever were. They can finish this." Buttercup set her mouth in a grim line and Bubbles nodded.  
  
"Let's do it." They said together. Their bodies began to glow softly, pink green and blue. Their clothing dropped to the floor as their bodies dissolved, becoming little more than the essence of what had created them. They threw themselves forward into the turtles' shells.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
"What the... AAGH!" Leonardo stumbled on shock as something surged through him. Donatello and Raphael were doing the same beside him. It felt like his body was on fire, but at the same time it was like it was speeding up. A computer with more power than every surging through it. Faster, stronger, better, he could feel everything inside of himself pulsing with energy.  
  
"What? What have you girls done!?" Him exclaimed. Leonardo raised his head to stare up at the demonic form. He could remember... everything that Him had done. He could remember all of Blossom's memories, he knew everything about her. Her life, her dedication, her powers, he had it all. He also remembered moments before, what they'd given them.  
  
"They sacrificed themselves to be rid of you!" Leonardo exclaimed, raising his swords in front of him. "So we'll do them the favor!" Raphael and Donatello stepped up beside him, raising their own weapons high.  
  
"I'll destroy you all!" Him thrust his claws forward, sending a crimson wave of energy surging toward them. Leonardo leapt back twenty feet against the wall, launching himself off of it. He flew through the air, bringing his swords back. Him barely had time to raise one claw before the blades struck home. They sliced clean through Him's arm, sending it falling to the ground.  
  
"AAAGH!" Him howled in pain, but Donatello was already coming up from the other side. The bo slammed into the side of Him's jaw, sending him reeling back through the air. Several teeth fell to the ground far below, followed by a small trail of blood.  
  
"Time to end this!" Raphael leapt up from the ground beneath Him, clutching the sai in one hand. The triple blades plunged into Him's stomach, drawing forth a startled cry from the crimson demon. Raph pulled his sai free as he fell to the ground. Him fell to the ground in the middle of the stadium, weak from blood loss and barely moving.  
  
"You... can't... kill a... specter..." Him tried to push himself to his hands and kneels, but Donatello and Raphael each stepped on one of his claws, holding him down.  
  
"That's the power of Chemical-X." Leonardo lifted his sword over his head. Even it was pulsing with the power the Powerpuff Girls had given them. "Your reign of evil ends here." He brought the blade down, putting an end to the girls' fight forever.  
  
"Whoa... dude..." They whirled when they heard Michelangelo stirring. They approached him as he pushed himself to his knees. "What a major headache... wha?" He looked around, seeing everything calm. "I didn't miss everything did I?"  
  
"We'll wake you up next time we have to fight a spirit from the bowels of Hell." Raphael quipped. He and Donatello helped their brother stand up. Michelangelo looked around curiously.  
  
"Hey... where did the Powerpuff Girls go? They didn't already leave did they?" The other three exchanged a glance.  
  
"Hey you don't think they're... gone forever do you?" Leonardo asked.  
  
Donatello turned around and looked down at the still-intact Molecular Re-sequencer. "I don't know about that..." This time it was Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael who exchanged the glance.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
The light flooded through her eyelids painfully. It was like her eyes were brand new, in fact her entire body felt strange. It was like she was a newborn child who didn't know how to use her body yet. But she remembered her life, her adventures with her sisters, her friends in school, the crime fighting, the turtles...  
  
"The turtles!" Buttercup's eyes shot open. The professor and Donatello were standing over her with pleased expressions on their faces. "But... what happened... I thought we..."  
  
"Calm down and let me explain." The professor smiled. "The Chemical-X in your body integrated with the turtles' mutagen, that's true, but your entire physical makeup went with it. Which meant reviving you was a simple matter of extracting the appropriate DNA sequences and reassembling them. The precise task my Molecular Re-sequencer was designed for."  
  
"But won't they just absorb our powers over time again?" Buttercup asked, looking at Donatello.  
  
Donatello responded to that one. "Nope, the DNA extraction process wasn't completely accurate, so you took some mutagen with you. It was just a small amount, not enough to hurt you, but it's enough to constantly run your Chemical-X through a never-ending absorption cycle. You're always reabsorbing your own powers, so nobody can take them from you THAT way again."  
  
"That's a relief." Buttercup sighed. As she watched the other turtles, and even Master Splinter, entered the room.  
  
"You wanted to see us professor?" Leonardo asked, looking at Professor Utonium."  
  
"Ah yes, your sensei has told me that you want me to make you human. It's certainly possible, if you still want it. As thanks, for helping my girls get rid of one of their worst enemies." The turtles all looked at each other, none saying anything for a long while. They turned to Splinter, as if asking what they should do.  
  
"It is time for you each to choose your own path." Splinter told them seriously.  
  
Leonardo thought for a long time before he responded. "It's a generous offer professor..." Leonardo said. "But after thinking about it, I don't think I could live with being human."  
  
"Yeah, how much more boring can it get than sitting at a computer all the time?" Michelangelo added.  
  
"While that doesn't sound too bad to me, I'll have to pass too." Donatello said. "I just couldn't get used to having five fingers."  
  
Raphael approached the professor's device, staring at it intently. Buttercup could still remember something from his mind, his memories. Master Splinter's words... "I have tried to channel your anger Raphael, but more remains. It clouds the mind. Turned inward, it is an unconquerable enemy. You are unique among your brothers, for you choose to face this enemy alone. But as you face it, don't forget them, and do not forget me." The words faded from Buttercup's mind, carried by whatever she'd taken from Raphael when she'd been extracted from him.  
  
Everyone watched him, some nervous, some curious, but all waiting in tense silence. Raphael let out a short sigh and closed his eyes, then looked up at Buttercup. She stared back, for a moment feeling something between them that she couldn't explain. An understanding of what it was like. She felt the same way as him, that anger that always yearned to burst out. But her sisters always helped her past that... what would it be like to fight it alone?  
  
Raphael turned slowly back to the others. "Who needs hair? A shell works for me." He smiled. Everyone in the room released their breath at once and the other turtles let out cheers.  
  
"Woohoo! All together dudes!" Michelangelo raised his hand. The others followed suit. "Cowabunga!" They shouted together, laughing away the tension that had built up. Buttercup actually smiled, watching them party like they'd just saved the world... which they had of course.  
  
"Hey, pizza's on Leo!" Michelangelo shouted, rushing into the kitchen.  
  
"Hey wait a minute!" Leonardo complained, giving chase. Donatello, and an amused Splinter and Professor Utonium followed them. Raphael waited, turning back to her. They didn't say anything, but they didn't really have to. If he could control his anger and remain with his brothers, then she could stay with her sisters, no matter what opportunities came along. 


End file.
